Childrens Sermon Service

Good morning, boys and girls. Let's talk about rocks today. Do any of you have a rock collection? (wait for a show of hands) I like to collect rocks, but just because they're interesting, not because I know what kind each one is. Think of all the places you see rocks. Rocks are in a collection, a rock garden, and as decorations in a yard. We can make fences from rocks and even houses from rocks. They come in all sizes and all colors. They can be rough or smooth or sharp or jagged. They can be used to give as special stones for someone's collection or as something to throw at someone. Now throwing a rock is not ever a good idea, is it? (let them answer) Have you ever skipped rocks across the water? (let them answer) It's fun and it doesn't hurt anyone. So rocks aren't good or bad; they're just rocks. But what we do with rocks can be good, or it can also be not very good at all!

Jesus had a problem with choices about rocks like that in our lesson today. He was alone in the desert and he was very hungry. He had gone off by himself to think and pray about what God wanted him to do with his life. He had lots of choices. He could be a ruler of lots of people or he could be a servant and help people. He could have lots of fancy things and be very rich or he could be poor and travel around telling people about God's love. While he was thinking and praying, he saw a rock like this one. (show the rock) He was so hungry. If he just changed the stone to a loaf of bread, he wouldn't be hungry. It sounds like an easy thing for Jesus to do. But Jesus didn't. He said no because he knew that God wanted him to teach people that we shouldn't worry so much about what we eat or what we wear. He knew God would take care of us. God does take care of us. God gives us each other to love and care for. We don't need to change stones into bread. Jesus made the right choice and Jesus helps us make the right choices, too.